The present request relates to a safety system for home appliances such as blenders or food processors in order to avoid the user turning on the apparatus without its top in place, as well as placing in the cup any external utensil when the apparatus is on.
The present invention consists of a new layout of a safety system that simultaneously locks the blender""s cup lid on the cup, as well as activating the contact pin and, consequently, the electric motor safety switch.
A food appliance comprising a rotating tool mounted in a container removably secured on a motor base, a lid for closing said container and a safety device for controlling operation is known from U.S. Pat. No. 3,892,365. The safety device comprises a pin sliding in a vertical channel of the container. The lid is secured in its closed position by means of anchoring lugs adapted to be inserted under retaining ledges formed with the upper edge of the cup. The lid also comprises a cam able to depress the upper end of the pin when the lid is brought to is closed position by rotation. The lower end of the pin is able to actuate an electric switch provided in the motor base. However, such an apparatus can easily be opened by turning on the lid.
The objective of the present invention is to provide a safety system to prevent the functioning of a blender or food processor if the lid of the container is not in place, allowing a simple and ergonomic construction, and avoiding the preceding drawback.
This objective can be achieved with an electrical appliance from the type blender or food processor, comprising a base including an electric motor, a container able to be removably secured on said base, said container having an cylindrical open top, a processing mounted in the bottom of said container and able to be driven by said motor, a lid able to close said container, means for limiting axial movement of the lid, means for limiting rotational movement of the lid, a safety device including a pin mounted on the container and a switch mounted on the base, the lid including means for actuating the pin to operate the switch in order to enable motor operation when the lid occupies a closed operating position on the container, wherein a locking button is provided on the container, said button being able to actuate a lock able to bear against an abutment or to enter a notch, said notch or said abutment being provided on the lid, to lock the lid on the container in the closed operating position. With the locking button provided on the container, the user is invited to hold the container to actuate the button and hold the lid to open the apparatus.
Advantageously, the button is provided on the upper part of a handle of the container and is moveable according an approximately vertical direction. The user is invited to hold firmly the handle by pushing with his thumb the button.
Preferably to simplify the device the lock and the safety pin are moveable against return springs.
According to an embodiment, the lid comprises projecting horizontal edges able to fit with corresponding edges of the container, stops being provided on lid edges and/or on container edges.
According to another embodiment, the lid and the container comprises screw threading means.
According to a specific embodiment the pin actuating means of the lid comprise a slanted actuating edge able to depress an actuator of the pin when closing the lid and a locking edge able to bear against the lock when the lid occupies the closed operating position on the container.